Residents, students raise concerns about Westwood

By Brian Sullivan
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]

  ED LIN/DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF

Some Westwood residents are upset about graffiti, trash not
being picked up and couches, like the one above, littering the
streets.

Westwood residents feeling UCLA students show disrespect for
their community have formed a committee to improve living
conditions in the North Village.

The three-year-old North Village Improvement Committee held its
first public meeting on the evening of July 17 at the University
Catholic Center on Gayley Avenue.

Many of those attending were apartment owners residing in
Westwood who have growing concerns over student drunkenness,
vandalism, noise coming from parties and, of course, Midnight
Yell.

“My mother wakes up and thinks someone is dying or on
fire,” said Larry Condre, a Westwood resident commenting on
Midnight Yell.

Other concerns included a lack of parking, couches left on
sidewalks, overflowing trash bins, broken beer bottles in the
street and graffiti.

“It’s basically about one thing,” said Shelley
Taylor, founder of the NVIC, “Quality of life.”

The meeting’s purpose was to organize local residents in
an effort to clean up Westwood and voice frustrations concerning
UCLA students sharing the community.

Several residents complained about vandalism of property, such
as damage to apartments, car break-ins and smashed windshields.
Many attribute such vandalism to the flow of drunk students coming
up from Westwood Village Thursday and Saturday nights.

Some even suggested the university withhold diplomas from
students who are repeatedly a public nuisance.

“If there are no consequences to underage drinking …
(students) won’t worry about it,” said Tony Moulallem,
manager of Club California apartments.

In response to the complaints of Christopher Neal, External Vice
President for the Undergraduate Students Association Council, said
residents could voice their concerns with student government. Neal
also disagreed with residents who want UCLA to hold back
degrees.

“I am wary of attaching someone’s diploma to maybe a
drunk night at a bar,” Neal said.

Neal also said since the university has no jurisdiction off
campus, it cannot punish students for what they do in their homes
or on the streets.

Several of those attending said they bear no ill-will toward the
general student population.

“We do not hate students. Only 1 out of 100 are a
problem,” said Debbi Cowen, a Westwood apartment owner and
resident. “We have fabulous residents. What you are hearing
is frustration. These problems have been going on for
years.”

Additionally, residents demanded the police increase patrols in
Westwood Thursday through Saturday nights and arrest underage
drinkers.

But the LAPD cannot arrest every troublemaker or go to every
fraternity party, said Michael Wang, LAPD senior lead officer and
1990 UCLA graduate.

“Let’s be realistic. This is a college town. I
don’t think we can be policing every single under-age
drinker,” he said.

The residents also voiced grievances over noise pollution. A few
said they had called the police to file a complaint, but the police
were slow to or never responded.

“I don’t understand why the municipal codes are not
enforced,” said Kevin Salitino, who lives on Strathmore
Avenue, adding that fraternity houses often have amplified music
and live bands, which require a special permit.

Regarding noise violations and and other misdemeanor
infractions, officer Wang said there is often too much bureaucratic
red tape involved with enforcement. Also, the LAPD is usually busy
dealing with more serious crimes such as murder, rape and robbery,
he said.

“Our hands are tied,” Wang said.

Officer Wang said the police respond to every call, but
sometimes are slow to file a noise complaint.

Nevertheless residents believe excessive noise is detrimental to
quality of life in Westwood.

“When I called the UC Police, the dispatcher said
“˜Could you turn down the music in your house.’ I said,
“˜It’s not my house, that’s the party.’
“˜Oh my God,’ she said. The party was a block and a half
away,” said Salatino, describing the noise volume of
fraternity parties.

One UCLA student attending the meeting said he had been unaware
of how disgruntled many permanent residents have become.

“I didn’t realize members of the community felt that
way,” said Mike Huber of Alpha Tao Omega.

Taylor believes absentee apartment owners who neglect their
properties are a significant part of the problem. According to
Taylor, as many apartments have no on-site managers and are poorly
maintained, student tenants show little respect for where they
live.

“It doesn’t foster pride and a connection to the
neighborhood. That is what’s lacking,” Taylor said.
“It’s hard to be disrespectful of someone else’s
property if you know them.”

Taylor fears that if apathetic attitudes toward Westwood
persist, the neighborhood will deteriorate until it becomes another
“student slum” similar to Isla Vista, an area adjacent
to UC Santa Barbara long notorious for noise and inebriated
students.

The NVIC plans to work with Scott Carter, liaison of UCLA
Fraternities and Sororities, and organize “Row Walks.”
The focus of these walks will be to let the fraternities located
along Gayley Avenue, or “Frat Row,” know they are part
of a community with permanent residents and address notable
problems.

“It’s just so people will know their
neighbors,” Taylor said.

Among the myriad issues residents had concerning students,
abandoned couches, mattresses and other “bulky items”
cluttering sidewalks was a prominent agitation.

“It’s kind of trashy,” said Condre.

Taylor noted the city will pick up couches for free, but
students need to notify the Department of Public Works in order to
to have them do so.

The Department of Public Works can be contacted at 1
(800)773-CITY